Bill payment points calculator
Thinking of paying a bill through a points bill-pay service? Enter the bill, your fee % and your card's earn rate to see the fee, the points and what each point really costs.
Fee % is whatever your bill-pay provider quotes for this payment – services such as Sniip, Payment Logic, B2Bpay, pay.com.au and RewardPay each publish their own. We don't hard-code those rates because they change.
Results are estimates only and not financial advice. Double-check the fee and earn rate with your provider and card before you pay.
The formula
fee = bill × fee% ÷ 100points = (bill + fee) × earn rate (or split across the cap if you set one)cents per point = fee ÷ points × 100If you set a spend cap, the first dollars of the total charged earn at your full rate and anything above the cap earns at the reduced rate.
Worked examples
A $500 electricity bill at a 1.5% fee on a card earning 2 points per dollar: fee = $7.50, total charged = $507.50, points = 1,015. Cost per point = 7.5 ÷ 1,015 × 100 ≈ 0.74c – an excellent deal on our rule of thumb.
A $2,000 business invoice at 2% fee, earning 3 points per dollar up to a $1,000 remaining monthly cap and 1 point after that: fee = $40, total = $2,040. Points = 1,000 × 3 + 1,040 × 1 = 4,040. Cost = 40 ÷ 4,040 × 100 ≈ 0.99c per point.
Our rule of thumb
Under 1c per point – excellent. Under 1.5c – a good deal. Under 2c – okay. 2c or more – usually poor value, unless those points unlock a redemption you really want. Compare the cost here with what the same points are worth on a flight using the points value calculator.
Common questions
How is cost per point worked out?
Divide the provider fee by the points you earn, then multiply by 100 to get cents. A $7.50 fee for 1,015 points is 7.5 ÷ 1,015 × 100 ≈ 0.74c per point.
Do I earn points on the fee as well as the bill?
Most bill-pay services charge the whole amount (bill plus fee) to your card, so you earn points on both. This calculator assumes that. If your provider only charges the bill amount, put 0 in the fee field for the points side and treat the fee separately.
What is a good cost per point?
As a rule of thumb on QuickMaths: under 1c is excellent, under 1.5c is a good deal, under 2c is okay, and 2c or more is usually poor value – unless you desperately need those points for a specific redemption.
Why don't you list fees for Sniip, Payment Logic or the others?
Provider fees change often and can differ by payment type, card and merchant. Enter the fee % your provider quotes for that bill so the result matches what you'll actually pay.
Does payment type or card brand change the maths?
Not in the formula – you enter your own fee and earn rate. Payment type and card are there so you can note what you used, and so a shared link keeps the same context.